King's Reversal
by queien
Summary: Though some mysterious magical mishap, the Hisokas from Yami no Matsuei and Hunter x Hunter have changed places, and the fateful night where Hisoka meets Muraki takes a different turn. The events of that evening change the hand of destiny, and Tsuzuki now finds himself on the Queen Camellia for a very different reason and with a very different partner.
1. Chapter 1

[Pairings: (HxH)Hisoka/Muraki and Muraki/Tsuzuki

Warning: non-con, some gore

You can skip the rest of this author's note now if you want.

This is the first fic I've written in a very long time. I feel pretty rusty, but I'm hoping to maybe get more into it again. I've got a few other fic ideas I'd like to try after this one is complete. Speaking of completion, this fic has been drafted in its entirety. I didn't want to have another In Sheep's Clothing thing where I start posting and then lose motivation. There's no way this fic will go on hiatus. The only way that'll happen is a short hiatus because of life. I work part time and go to school full time, so my life is pretty hectic right now. However, even with all that, I should hopefully still have the time to remember to proof read a chapter and submit it once every week or so.

In case anyone was wondering, a total of twelve chapters are drafted. Each chapter is roughly as long as this first one, give or take a few hundred words. The total word count of all the drafted chapters combined is about 12,800 words (not counting any author blather I end up doing), so it's not going to be that long of a story. I hope people stay around for the entirely of it. :)

If anyone else wants to write some fic playing with this idea of the two Hisokas swapping places, either something similar to this concept or exploring what YnM Hisoka's adventures in the Hunter x Hunter universe, I would love to read it! This is an idea I've been dying to see for a long time, and eventually my need became so great that I couldn't hold it in and I ended up writing it myself. But please feel free to take this concept and use it however you want!

Heads up: I haven't read Hunter x Hunter in, like, eight or nine years. This characterization of Hisoka has been taken from what I remember about him (which has been tainted by years of inside jokes) paired with info from the wikia page. There may be some OOC moments.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!]

A sakura-scented breeze caused Hisoka's skin to tingle and ruffled his back-swept red hair. He moved though the darkness as silent as a hunting barn owl. Those people in the strange house he had found himself in hadn't been worthy of death at his hand, but their pitiful attempts at self defense had left him hungry for a worthy fight. He had left them alive but broken, and was now out wandering, searching for someone to help him quench his thirst for blood.

When Hisoka reached the top of a hill, he spotted him. Basked in the light of the blood-red moon, the strange man raised a knife above him and plunged it into the chest of the limp woman he held in one arm. The scent of fresh blood mingled with the aroma of flowers, causing Hisoka's heart to thud in his chest in anticipation and making the partial erection he'd had since leaving that house to become fully hard.

The strange man turned slowly as though sensing Hisoka's presence, one eye catching the moonlight and glowing unnaturally. The heavy smell of blood and the intense power radiating from this man made it difficult for Hisoka to contain himself. He took a few staggering steps forward, trying his hardest to savor this moment. However, his bloodlust was too powerful, and he soon found himself charging forward at full speed.

His target leaped aside with more speed and agility than Hisoka had been anticipating. Hisoka turned just in time to block the punch directed at him. The man jumped back, a smirk on his thin, pale lips. Hisoka could tell that this stranger was filled with a similar bloodlust that left him crazed with an excitement that was visible both in his one visible eye and in the tightness of his white slacks.

The two circled each other like a pair of ravenous wolves, waiting for the other to drop his guard. Growing inpatient in his boredom, Hisoka struck first, lashing out with a hail of nen-sharpened playing cards. The man grinned smugly as he flicked his wrist and created an energy shield of some sort, harmlessly deflecting the cards. No matter. Hisoka doubted that such a thing could protect this man from a melee assault. He charged forward to close the distance, and the stranger charged as well, saying something in the same strange language those people at that house had spoken.

A blade, still dripping with his victim's blood, slashed out at Hisoka's face. In his lust for blood, he had forgotten about this weapon until he had seen the gleam a mere moment before he felt it cut into the flesh of his cheek. Hisoka raised his left fist to block a second strike and then landed a punch into the man's gut with his right. The man flew backward and crumpled to the ground, but then staggered back to his feet seemingly unharmed.

Good. If that had been all it had taken to down him, then he wouldn't have been worthy.

It was such a shame that Hisoka knew it would be over all too soon.

Hisoka flung more of his cards at his opponent. When the silvery man went to dodge, Hisoka pulled on the bungee gum that now connected the two of them, jerking the man right into the path of the oncoming cards, which sliced right through him, and he collapsed. Hisoka walked toward where his victim lay in a crumpled heap. As Hisoka approached, he heard the man chuckling softly to himself. Hisoka couldn't tell why, but it didn't matter; this man wouldn't be alive much longer anyway.

With a rustling fury of his long white jacket, Hisoka's victim jumped into the air in another attempt at an attack, but Hisoka yanked on the bungee gum again, slamming him back into the ground. The man landed with a gasp as the air was crushed out of his lungs. It was Hisoka's turn to chuckle as he walked toward his helpless prey. His lust for blood and for a good fight had faded, but there was one other lust that remained, aching in his loins. The defeated man struggled to catch his breath and resume the attack, but Hisoka knew it was all over for him.

Hisoka knelt and quickly stripped the man bare from the waist down. The erection he had seen through the man's pants was still there, throbbing needily. The man glared up at him and tried to cover himself. The two of them were so similar yet so different. This stranger had been little more than a mouse to Hisoka, yet the stranger had thought them equal because they both had teeth. The love nibble from the man's knife still bled, but Hisoka paid it no mind. Instead, he removed his own pants and forced the other man's legs open.

Suddenly seeming to only now understand what was happening to him, Hisoka's toy began to struggle again. Hisoka ignored the fists hammering into his chest, the palms that shoved against him. The blows were no more painful than flies beating against his skin.

Hisoka guided his own erection to the man's entrance with one hand and then thrust. The hole strained to keep Hisoka out, but then tore open to accommodate him. The man's back arched as he cried out in pain. Hisoka didn't give him a moment to adjust to the girth now inside him and thrust wildly, using the man to pleasure himself. Waves of ecstasy filled Hisoka with each motion he made. The screams of pain pouring from his conquered fuck toy only made him more aroused.

Hisoka leaned down, grabbing the man's hips and rolling them for a better angle. It was then that the man surprised him by leaning up to meet him. When the man first went toward Hisoka's neck with his mouth open, Hisoka thought the gesture cute, that maybe he was finally getting into it and wanted to get in on some neck action or maybe even intended to bite him as a last little act of rebellion. However, Hisoka then felt a strange sensation as his nen started to flow from him at an alarming rate. He looked down to see his victim clinging to his shirt, mouth open as he gulped down Hisoka's life energies with a vicious hunger.

Enraged, Hisoka shoved the man back to the ground, wrapped both hands around his neck tightly, and squeezed as hard as his strength could manage as he continued to fuck him. The man's eyes bugged out as his mouth opened and closed, no sounds escaping. He scratched desperately at Hisoka's arms, drawing lines that bled. The pain combined with the new tightness of the hole just made Hisoka even more excited, and he sped up his thrusts as he groaned.

The scratching eventually grew lighter and slower, and the mouth eventually stopped its fish-like gasping. Even after the man was completely still, Hisoka kept his grip on his throat and plowed into his ass.

By the time Hisoka came, there was no doubt that his victim was dead. Fully sated, Hisoka stood, cleaned himself off, and dressed. He would deal with his wounds later. For now, he was completely content.

He stayed there under the cherry trees, watching the sky until the blood-red of the moon had fully faded, and then he left.


	2. Chapter 2

Muraki jerked awake, eyes wide, as he awoke from his nightmare. He panted heavily as the darkness of his room once again grew familiar and the last tendrils of his dream left him. Slowly, he sat up and let his blankets slide from his bare chest to pool at his waist. He raised a knee, leaned an elbow against it, and used his hand to prop up his forehead as he took deep, shaky breaths to calm himself. His pulse still raced and his body trembled.

It was that same dream again: the dream of his death.

It had been three years since that night, yet this dream still plagued his sleep. That man he had fought... his movements, abilities, even that energy he had consumed, none of it seemed human. At first, Muraki had wanted it for himself to own and control. When he realized that he and his opponent were the same, he decided instead that they could make great partners, aiding each other. However, the man hadn't stopped his attack and instead increased it. And then-

Muraki shook his head. No, he didn't want to think about that right now. He had already been forced to relive it in his sleep. He made it a habit not to purposefully evoke those specific memories.

He sighed and got out of bed to get ready for work. For the past three years, he had been shuffled from one department to the next in the Ministry of Hades. The first year, he had been somewhat uncooperative, desiring nothing more than to use his second chance to continue his life's work. Soon, he realized that this wouldn't be possible and tried to focus instead on his duties. Still, his personality made it difficult for him to keep partners, and soon, no one would be willing to work with him and he would be shuffled off to a new department.

Although it meant a lower salary, his new job in the Summons Section seemed promising. After all, killing people had been all but a hobby in life. However, it had only been three months since he had completed his training, yet he had already gone through four partners. The section chief, Konoe, had already assigned him a new partner in a different area: Kyushu. He knew that that meant. Kyushu was in the middle of no where. Nothing happened there. They were trying to keep him out of the way and out of trouble.

He had also heard that the employee currently assigned there similarly went through partners at a rapid rate. The section chief was obviously just pairing up the two difficult employees and hoping they didn't infuriate each other too quickly, it seemed. Muraki sighed and got up to get ready for work. Once he had dressed and groomed himself, he left and walked from his apartment to the ministry.

The halls of the ministry were already packed by the time Muraki arrived. He navigated the corridors to the Summons Section, signed himself in, and then immediately reported to Chief Kanoe's office.

"Good morning," Muraki greeted his boss as he entered the room.

"Good morning." Chief Konoe had the reassignment paperwork on his desk next to a case file. Muraki eyed the file as he sat across from the section chief, wondering if this case was to be assigned to him or to whomever was scheduled to come in after his meeting was through.

Chief Konoe picked up the paperwork, tapped it against his desk to straighten it, and then handed it off to his secretary, who bowed and excused himself.

"Everything's in order," the section chief said with a nod. You'll be meeting your new partner today, whenever he decides to show up." Based on the tone used, Muraki made the conclusion that his new partner was a known slacker. "You're very good, Mr. Muraki, one of the best we've got," Chief Konoe continued. Muraki had heard it all before. It was true, but he knew others in the ministry had trouble dealing with his intense personality. "This is why we were hesitant putting you with another one of our best." Muraki snorted. He knew the truth about his own reassignment. If his new partner was supposedly "one of the best" as well yet shoved off in the middle of nowhere, then his personality was obviously shit too. He wondered how long this one would last. "I hope that the two of you get along well and are able to complete all assignments together with minimal issues."

"As do I. I look forward to meeting him." Muraki lied.

A strange expression passed over Chief Konoe's face, as though Muraki had just said some sort of joke. Muraki chose to ignore it. The Chief then picked up the case file and held it out. "In the meantime, read and familiarize yourself with this case. It'll be the first one assigned to you with your new partner, alright?"

"Yes," Muraki said, reaching out to take the file. Before he could take it, there was a knock on the door and Chief Konoe pulled the file back.

"Come in," Chief Konoe called.

"He had a mountain of cake on his desk, so it was hard to pull him away," came the voice of one of the Gushoshin twins.

Chief Konoe sighed. "All that matters is that he's here now," he said. "Muraki, I'd like you to meet your new partner, Asato Tsuzuki."

"Tsu-" Muraki's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened in recognition. He knew that name. He turned quickly in his chair and saw a face that brought all of his past that he had tried to leave behind him rushing back. It was the face of the man whose picture rested in a file back in Muraki's old laboratory back in Kyoto, the man whose strange condition had puzzled Muraki's grandfather for years, the man whom Muraki had studied and theorized about and sought after for most of his life.

And now, this man stood before him, and they were partners.

Perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Tsuzuki blinked in surprise as he stared at this silver-haired stranger clad all in white. If the man's prolonged gaze wasn't intimidating enough, the gleam in that one visible eye was intense and filled with a sinister hunger. Maybe this was some sort of joke, Tsuzuki thought. There was no chance Chief Konoe would pair him up with someone like this...was there?

"H-him?" Tsuzuki said, pointing. "This is my new partner?"

"Yes. His name is Kazutaka Muraki. He will be working with you starting today."

"It's a pleasure," Muraki purred. The intensity in his eyes had faded somewhat, but the smug smirk on his face didn't ease Tsuzuki's concerns any. Tsuzuki gulped and gave a slight nod, not sure of what else to say. "We already have our first assignment together lined up, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki said. "I look forward to working with you."

"An assignment already?" Tsuzuki asked, glancing at Chief Konoe and seeing the file in his hand. Panic began to rise in his throat. "Don't we usually, I don't know, wait a bit first? Get to know each other?"

"It depends on the circumstances," Chief Konoe said. "But this isn't anything you won't be able to handle."

"Besides, it's a bit of an emergency," came a voice from behind Tsuzuki. He turned and saw Tatsumi standing there, his expression serious. "This request came directly from the Count." Tatsumi walked past Tsuzuki to stand behind Konoe, taking the file from him and opening it.

Tsuzuki hesitantly walked forward as well and took a seat next to Muraki. He could feel Muraki's gaze on him the entire time. "The Count?"

"Indeed," Tatsumi said. "Strange things are happening in the hall of candles. The flames that represent people's lives are flaring much brighter than normal and then being snuffed out well before their appointed time. The thing in common between these strange incidents is that all of these people were on board the Queen Camellia at the time of their deaths." There was a sharp gasp that came from Tsuzuki's left. He turned to see Muraki, eyes wide.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Muraki?" Tatsumi asked, concern on his face.

"Ah, no," Muraki said, quickly recovering. He waved a hand dismissively as he continued. "I'm sure you've read about my life by now. I was quite wealthy so I heard much about this ship, although I never had a chance to board it. That's all."

"I see..." Tatsumi's glance lingered on Muraki for a moment longer before returning to the details contained in the file. "Anyway," Tatsumi continued, clearing his throat. "I've assigned the two of you alternate identities. The details on them can be found here. Please read them over and then be prepared to depart immediately. One of the Gushoshin will go with you to establish a connection with you while you investigate, so make sure to keep us updated at all times, alright?"

"Understood," Tsuzuki said, standing and reaching for the file. Muraki somehow managed to snatch it first, shooting Tsuzuki a smug grin. Tsuzuki frowned and then returned his attention back to Tatsumi and Konoe. "But first," he said, adding the subtlest of pitiful whimpers to his voice. "Can I at least finish my cake? I had to wait in line all morning to get it."

"Don't worry about your cake," Tatsumi said with one of his charming smiles. "We'll be sure to eat all of it for you."

"But-"

"Don't forget to buy souvenirs," Konoe said.

"But-"

Muraki grabbed Tsuzuki's arm, and Tsuzuki felt an icy shiver race down his spine. "Come along, Mr. Tsuzuki," he said. "We have important work to do. This doesn't sound like it can wait."

Tsuzuki whimpered as he was dragged off by Muraki as Tatsumi and Konoe said their goodbyes and wished the two of them good luck.

When they left Konoe's office, Muraki loosened his grip on Tsuzuki's arm but still kept a hold on it. Tsuzuki stared down at the hand on his arm, not sure if he should say something about it or not. "Um, do you need a tour of the workplace or something?" Tsuzuki asked.

"No need," Muraki said. "I've been working here for three months now. Even though I've mostly been away on assignment, I'm still very familiar with the layout of the summons department. Before coming here, I worked in several other departments and occasionally needed to come here for various tasks."

"I see," Tsuzuki said. So this guy wasn't new. Strange. A lot of the time, Tsuzuki ended up getting paired with the newest recruits. "So why come here? Isn't this a step down from working in other departments?"

"I was demoted," Muraki replied.

"Ah," Tsuzuki said. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry," Muraki replied. "I look forward to working here with you." Muraki squeezed Tsuzuki's arm gently. Tsuzuki flinched and tried to pull away, but Muraki held on tight.

"Well, uh, you mentioned earlier you were rich," Tsuzuki stuttered. "This isn't the right place if that's the kind of life style you want. The pay here is really bad, and our budget is always really tight."

"I don't mind one bit," Muraki replied. "Anyway, I can't help it. This is the last department I can even work for before I'll be fired outright."

"I can't imagine why," Tsuzuki muttered, glancing at the hand still grasping his arm.

"What was that?" Muraki asked.

"Oh, um, I was just wondering what job you had while you were alive that let you live so well."

"Ah," Muraki said, his tone becoming nostalgic. "When I was alive, I was a doctor. Many of my patients were from wealthy families, so I never had to worry about money."

"I see," Tsuzuki said. "Must be rough to have to go from saving lives to taking them."

Muraki chuckled, a deep, low laugh that gave Tsuzuki chills. "You're so naïve, Mr. Tsuzuki," he said. "How endearing..."

The vague feelings of unease that had been plaguing Tsuzuki suddenly solidified into something terrifying. He could only hope that this assignment would be over fast before anything bad could happen to him by Muraki's hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Of course Muraki had been the one to get the VIP room, Tsuzuki thought to himself as he dealt out yet another hand to his table. Damn Tatsumi... as if having to work with his new, creepy partner wasn't bad enough, he now had to work for his boat ticket. That bastard wasn't going to get a single souvenir!

He still couldn't get over what Muraki had said when they had found out about their arrangements on the boat. Tsuzuki had complained about having to work as a dealer, and rightfully so, but Muraki just smirked and said "It suits you. Besides, do you truly believe that I could pretend to be of such low class?" The comment had left Tsuzuki thoroughly speechless.

It had been hard to keep from glaring at Muraki whenever he occasionally wandered through the gambling hall, and ever since his partner had excused himself to the VIP floor to retire for the evening, Tsuzuki had been internally fuming.

"If you haven't started yet, deal me in," came an unfamiliar voice with a thick, strange accent. Startled, Tsuzuki blinked as he was torn from his thoughts and focused his attention on the newcomer. From speech to appearance, this man was obviously not Japanese, though Tsuzuki was unable to place that unusual accent. The man had short, red hair that fell to about his ears, and piercing yellow eyes with a look in them that Tsuzuki could only compare to Muraki.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Tsuzuki said quickly, trying not to let this man's similarities to his partner get to him. He regathered the cards he had already dealt, shuffled quickly, and started to deal them out again. "By the way, I like your suit," he added, nodding at the man's matching jacket and pants, both white and decorated with hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds. "It's a suit of suits!"

The man chuckled to himself and said nothing, instead just looking at his hand.

Tsuzuki didn't remember seeing anything about this man in the records the Gushoshin had, so he must not have been one of the VIP guests. He must have been one of the normal guests, or even a fellow employee. He did look kind of like the type of person who'd make a good dealer, but he was pretty sure it was against regulations for a dealer to bet against the house. Maybe he was a bartender, then. He did kind of have the sort of look about him that a bartender might have.

Hand after hand, this newcomer won each and every time, quickly draining the reserves of chips that Tsuzuki had built up from earlier. Luckily, it was almost time for his break. He dealt out two more hands before apologizing and excusing himself, heading off to his room. However, he stopped and turned when the red-haired stranger called to him.

"Mr. Dealer!" He said. Tsuzuki turned. "You play very well. I'd say you're probably one of the best here."

"How can you say that when I lost to you all those times?" Tsuzuki said sheepishly. "You're very good."

"I have a bit of a gift, yes," he admitted. "However, if I hadn't been there, you would have won most of those hands. You had good cards."

"Thank you," Tsuzuki said with a quick bow.

"You've definitely caught my interest," he continued. "I'd like to play with you more later, maybe after you've gotten more practice. I haven't seen you around, so I'm guessing you're new. You could be unstoppable with just a little more effort." With the way this man was eying him, Tsuzuki got the bad feeling that he wasn't talking about cards anymore. "My name is Hisoka," the man said. "I hope we meet again." He turned and walked off.

Tsuzuki stood there for a while, stunned. It was then that he realized that the man had abandoned all of his chips on the table. "Ah, sir! Mr. Hisoka!" He called, but the unusual man was already lost in the crowd. Tsuzuki frowned and gathered up the chips. He'd have to hold onto them until he came back, although he hoped that this would be their first and last meeting. He made a mental note to mention this man and their discussion to Muraki and the Gushoshin next time he saw them. Something about him seemed off, and Tsuzuki was determined to find out what.


	5. Chapter 5

[[Sorry for the delay in getting out this chapter. I've had a ton of school work and such. On top of that, I've had abdominal pain since Wednesday. I'm feeling better now; however, I'm not quite well enough to focus on school work for very long, so I decided to work on the revisions for a new chapter. I should be back to updating more regularly after I'm done with school, which should be in about two more weeks. Not many people have read this story, but I appreciate all of you who keep checking back for updates. Thanks so much for reading my fic. It means a lot! Also, thanks to Tamae for the review. I hope this story lives up to your expectations!]]

Muraki remembered this ship well. He had helped draw and approve the designs. He knew it like the back of his hand, all of its secret nooks and crannies. He remembered the schemes he had come up with and wondered if they were still in action. He doubted it. The boat's owner Kakyoin had been hesitant to comply with him and had needed much blackmail. If Muraki had lived to see this plot to fruition, it may have drawn his precious Tsuzuki to him. He chuckled at the thought that this boat that he had designed was part of the first assignment he and Tsuzuki were to work on together.

The only potential problems were the owner and his daughter, if she were still alive. It had been at least four years since he had last seen them, having spent some time away from them even before his untimely death, but he was still sure that they would recognize him on sight. He had taken a few precautions, however. Instead of his usual white garb, he instead wore a more traditional black tuxedo paired with a cross tie. He also had grown out his hair quite a bit since that time, and also made a point of slicking is backward to reveal his two eyes. His mechanical eye had been lost that night, so he now wore a glass eye the same color as his own natural silver. But even with these changes, he was positive he'd be recognized, and therefore ended up returning to his private quarters with the Gushoshin early, claiming to be tired from their trip.

The next morning, Muraki got up, dressed, and left to briefly take breakfast in the VIP lounge. He took some food back to his room for the Gushoshin to eat and then went downstairs to check on Tsuzuki. It was so early that the halls were almost entirely empty. At this point, most of the partiers probably hadn't processed their consumed alcohol enough to even be considered hungover yet.

He found Tsuzuki in an empty room with a large card table, absently shuffling a deck. When Muraki entered, Tsuzuki snapped to attention. "Welcome, sir! Would you care to play a game of—Muraki?!" Tsuzuki spluttered as he realized who he was talking to.

Muraki chuckled at the absolutely adorable reaction. "Good morning, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki greeted with a false warmth. "and I would enjoy a game of cards, actually."

"Ah," Tsuzuki said, shuffling the cards in his hand. "Do you have any chips?"

"No," Muraki said. "But I'd like to wager something more interesting than chips."

"Huh?" Tsuzuki's innocence made it hard for Muraki to control himself. "Like what?"

"Your body, for instance," Muraki suggested casually.

Tsuzuki's jaw dropped. "The hell?!" Tsuzuki snapped. "Do you think that's a joke?"

"I don't joke about things like that," Muraki said with a grin. "You have such a perfect body, Mr. Tsuzuki."

Although Tsuzuki glared, his face grew bright red. "You're sick," he snapped. "What could you even offer to counter that to make such a bet worth my time?"

"Information," Muraki said. "I'd tell you more about myself."

"Then why can't we just bet info for info! Hell, we can just find out more about each other over coffee or something!"

"Is that you inviting me out on a date, Mr. Tsuzuki?"

"Hell no!"

"Well, it sure sounds like a date so I accept," Muraki said with a grin. Tsuzuki glared. "This still doesn't change my offered bet, however. And the reason you giving me information isn't fair is because there isn't anything you could tell me that I don't already know." Muraki drank in Tsuzuki's look of confusion and horror for a few moments and then added "except maybe your current address, but I'm sure I could learn that with time."

"S-stalker!" Tsuzuki stuttered.

"Oh, no," Muraki said. "In fact, I didn't even know with any certainty that you existed until we met the other day. But that's the last free piece of information you get unless you beat me at cards. If you win, I'll tell you everything, including how I know of you. Now... shall we?"

Tsuzuki clenched one fist and glared. After a while, he glanced away, body still tense. "Fine," he grumbled. Muraki grinned and took a seat at the table. Tsuzuki sat across from him and dealt. His hands trembled slightly, Muraki noticed. He wondered if Tsuzuki was more angry or scared.

After the cards were dealt, Muraki picked up his cards and fanned them in front of his face. It wasn't great, but it was still a promising start. He made sure to keep his face expressionless and free of tics. He glanced up at Tsuzuki, who was glaring down at his hand. Muraki smiled and placed three cards face down on the table and pushed them forward before taking three more from the top of the deck. "I haven't found any leads yet," he said as he eyed his new hand. Better already.

"Eh?" Tsuzuki looked up from his cards and blinked, startled. He then slouched in his seat, discarding three hards from his hand and replacing them with fresh ones. "Ah, right. I ran into someone interesting last night."

"Oh?" Muraki prompted, exchanging two cards for fresh ones.

"Yeah. I just got this weird vibe from him. I was going to ask Gushoshin to search for him on the guest register later to find out more." Tsuzuki discarded three and drew three again.

"I see." Muraki's hand was perfect at this point, but to give Tsuzuki some false sense of hope, he discarded and drew one.

"Yeah. If I see him, I'll point him out to you later," Tsuzuki said. He discarded three, drew three more, and then made a strangled sound in his throat.

Muraki smirked. "I have four twos," Muraki said smugly as he revealed his hand. Tsuzuki's face fell. "I take it I win, then?" Muraki tilted his head and smiled, placing his cards on the table. "I'll come visit you tonight after you finish working in order to collect my winnings, then," he said, standing.

It was then that Muraki sensed a powerful, ominous, and familiar presence, the same he had felt on that fateful night. His blood ran cold and he almost collapsed as the memories of that evening came rushing back to him with a powerful freshness.

"Ah," came a voice heavy with accent. "I remember you."


	6. Chapter 6

Tsuzuki glanced from Hisoka, slouched against the doorframe, to Muraki, who had suddenly gone from cocky to terrified, body stiff and eyes widened and unblinking. He couldn't even tell if Muraki was still breathing or not.

"I remember you," Hisoka said, eying Muraki. He pushed off from the door frame and strode closer to Muraki, who remained still.

On one hand, Tsuzuki found it refreshing to see his asshole partner's composure shattered like this. On the other hand, however, Tsuzuki couldn't help but to be terrified by anyone who could unnerve Muraki so easily.

Hisoka raised one hand caressed Muraki's cheek with the back of a finger. Muraki shuddered and flinched away. "How interesting. I thought I had killed you, yet here you are before me, as warm and soft as ever."

"You did kill me," Muraki snapped, batting away Hisoka's hand.

Killed? Tsuzuki's eyes widened. This man was Muraki's murderer, then? Tsuzuki tensed, not sure what to do.

Hisoka chuckled and took a step back. "Then what brings you before me now?" He asked.

"I didn't 'come before you' on purpose. We're just here on business."

"Shame. But it must be important business to require you to return from the dead."

"Extremely important business."

"Well, let me know if you have any free time. Business is fine and all, but it's not good to forget about pleasure..." Hisoka rested a hand on Muraki's waist, and he tensed again and went quiet. Hisoka grinned and leaned closer to Muraki's ear. "Your scratches left scars up my arms," he murmured. "Sometimes, I like to look at them... it makes me think of you fondly..." Muraki remained stiff and unmoving. Hisoka grinned and released him before turning his attention to Tsuzuki. "I noticed you said 'we' earlier," he said. "I take it that the two of you are together, then?" Tsuzuki didn't answer. "Well, it would make sense, at least. Either way, I'd like for the both of your to stay in touch." Hisoka turned and left.

Tsuzuki glanced at Muraki, who was still tense and unmoving. Even his skin, already naturally pale, was thoroughly bloodless. "Muraki," he said softly. When he got no reply, he rested a hand on his partner's arm. Muraki flinched and then looked at him, expression blank as though not really seeing him. Tsuzuki cleared his throat. "Hey, Muraki, you okay?" He asked awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

Muraki shook his head. "I'm going to go to my room," he said, his voice quivering slightly. He turned, staggering. He reached out and clutched the back of the chair he had been sitting on to steady himself.

"Let me help you," Tsuzuki offered, holding out his arms, but Muraki swatted him away.

"I don't need your help," he muttered weakly. He slowly let go of the chair and then shuffled off. Tsuzuki watched him leave. In spite of how creepy his partner had just been to him, he still couldn't help but feel bad for him. Muraki was obviously suffering, and Tsuzuki had no idea how to help him. Well, he had at least one idea that would cheer him up, but there was no way he was going to stoop to sleeping with him. However, there was at least something he could do.

The place was still almost completely deserted, so Hisoka didn't have the ability to vanish into the crowd like he had the night before. Tsuzuki followed the red head, jogging to catch up with him.

"Wait!" Tsuzuki barked, grabbing Hisoka's shoulder. The man complied, stopping and then turning. Tsuzuki took a short moment to catch his breath before continuing. "The hell was that all about?"

Hisoka shrugged. "We fought once. He died. I'm not sure what else you want me to say."

Tsuzuki clenched his fists, wanting nothing more than to take a swing at this man. "So you murdered him," he growled.

"Until he was losing, he was just as into it as I was," Hisoka said. "If I had lost, I bet he would have killed me without a second thought. I imagine I wouldn't have been as upset over it as he is, though."

That was the last straw. Tsuzuki lunged forward, aiming a punch at Hisoka's face. However, he was surprised when he failed to connect with anything. "Eh?" Tsuzuki had only enough time to turn to just spot the red head out of the corner of his eye before Hisoka's elbow connected with his back. The air was knocked out of his lungs. Tsuzuki gasped, desperately trying to draw in oxygen to replace what he had lost, and then collapsed, glaring up at Hisoka, who stared back down at him with a disappointed look on his face.

"Careful. If anyone saw you attacking a passenger like that, you might be fired. Not that it matters much anyway. You aren't as strong as he was," Hisoka said, turning to walk away. "Unless he has somehow improved after dying, I doubt I'll find what I seek here." He glanced over his shoulder. "If you'd like to fight me two against one, however. I think I'd enjoy that." With those words, he left Tsuzuki alone on the ground gasping for breath.


	7. Chapter 7

Upon returning to his room, Muraki quickly explained to the Gushoshin that he wasn't feeling very well and then immediately went to bed, where he lay for a few hours pretending to be asleep. It was only when his growling stomach was about to give him away that he got up and went to fetch food for himself and his secret roommate. The two sat together at the small table in the room. The Gushoshin didn't speak at all, too busy typing away on his computer. Muraki was grateful for the silence.

Near the end of their meal, however, the Gushoshin spoke. "Chief Konoe wants to know if you guys have found anything," he said.

Muraki grimaced. "Well, Mr. Tsuzuki ran into someone strange," he mentioned, trying to sound unbothered.

"Oh, great! Who? I'll try to pull up more details on my laptop."

Muraki struggled to remember the man's name, but he was sure it hadn't been mentioned at any point. He shook his head. "I'd have to ask Mr. Tsuzuki to see if he knows. He said he'd be up here later to tell us."

"Um, but Mr. Muraki," Gushoshin said. "Mr. Tsuzuki doesn't have a VIP pass. How is he supposed to come up here?"

"Ah, right. I'd forgotten about that. I guess I'll have to go fetch him myself, then, or at least ask him when his next break is so I can escort him up." He sighed as he stood, not looking forward to having to leave the safety of his personal room in order to go back down to where his murderer lurked. However, he forced himself to go anyway, even though he found himself glancing about with more anxiety than he usually showed.

Luckily, he was able to find Tsuzuki quickly. As Muraki approached, Tsuzuki looked up, his expression first surprised and then concerned.

"Muraki, are you alright?" he asked, going over to meet him.

"I'm fine now that I've rested a bit," Muraki said. "I came down to see when your next break would be so you can come to my room for some privacy."

"I'm worried about you, but not THAT worried about you," Tsuzuki said bitterly. "I don't even care that I lost to you in that card game, it's never happening."

It took a second for Muraki to remember what Tsuzuki was talking about, but then he grinned as he remembered the wager from earlier that morning. "So you're going back on your word, then, Mr. Tsuzuki?" Muraki asked, starting to feel more back to normal. "How rude." 

"How about best two out of three? Or a rematch?" Tsuzuki suggested.

"A rematch sounds excellent. Shall we make it double or nothing?"

Tsuzuki shook his head. "Hell no! I'm not making that kind of bet with you!"

"Well you did once already," Muraki said smugly.

"Yeah, and I regret it. Can we just drop it already? That kind of thing... I'd really rather not." Tsuzuki said.

Muraki shrugged. "I'm sure you'll pay up eventually," he said. "Anyway, I'm not bringing you to my room for that. Not right this moment, at least. Gushoshin wanted to talk to you."

"Ah," Muraki had never seen anyone's expression change from discomfort and anger to relief so quickly before. "In that case, I don't mind going. I have things I need to tell him. Let's go!"

"Quite the change there," Muraki commented. "You're not worried it's a trap?"

"You can't do anything with him around. I'm sure it'll be fine," Tsuzuki replied. "Anyway, I'm sure that you understand how important this assignment is, not to mention I'm sure you want some answers for personal reasons."

Muraki said nothing in response, but Tsuzuki was completely correct.

Muraki was silent while he escorted Tsuzuki toward the stairs leading up to the VIP floor. In fact, it was Tsuzuki who was the first to break the silence. "Hey, does anything seem weird to you about the other guests?" he asked. Muraki glanced around and then shook his head. "Look at them," Tsuzuki prompted. "They're all pretty big and tough looking, don't you think?"

"I guess so," Muraki replied as they approached the stairs. "It's a little hard to tell under their tuxedos, though."

"I suppose," Tsuzuki said with a shrug.

The two approached Muraki's private quarters and then Muraki unlocked the door to let them in. The moment the door was closed, they were greeted by the Gushoshin's excited cries. "I found something!" he said urgently, pointing toward the glowing screen of his laptop. Muraki and Tsuzuki rushed over to look.

"What is it?" Tsuzuki asked.

"I found something that connects all of the people who died!" Gushoshin said, bringing up file after file. "It's a bit of a stretch, but all of them were athletes - not the top of their fields per se, but still skilled athletes, mostly martial artists or weight lifters and the like."

"What would anyone want with a bunch of muscleheads?" Tsuzuki wondered out loud.

"Mr. Tsuzuki, that man!" Muraki said. "What was his name? If he's the one behind it, then maybe we can find some answers!"

"Right," Tsuzuki said. "Gushoshin, can you check the guest register for someone named 'Hisoka' and then do a more thorough search on him?"

"Of course!" Gushoshin got right to work, eyes narrowed in focus as his feathery fingers tapped away at his keyboard. After a few moments, he leaned back and shook his head. "No good. Though I did find a Hisoka listed as a guest on this ship, there was no last name to go on for a broader search. His guest registry entry didn't even connect to any other documents, and trying to search by his image came back with no hits. As far as my database is concerned, he doesn't even exist!"

Muraki frowned. It had all been a dead end. He sighed and looked away, staring out the window.

"I'll send Chief Konoe what I've learned so far and also send a copy to my brother. Maybe one of them will be able to access something that I can't reach from out here with just a laptop," the Gushoshin said.

"Hm... wait," Tsuzuki said, his tone as though he were deep in thought. "Hisoka mentioned something about wanting to fight us. Maybe his end goal is just a worthy opponent. Though these are rather extreme lengths to go for such a thing, it might explain the connection between everyone who has gone missing."

Muraki whipped around to face Tsuzuki, eyes bright with realization. "Yes! That must be it! It all makes sense now! That seemed to be the main thing he wanted when we first met, too! And if it's a fight he wants, then it will be a fight he gets. Come on, Mr. Tsuzuki! My revenge is nigh..."


	8. Chapter 8

After finding Hisoka at a poker table and stating their intentions, the two ended up following Hisoka down into the belly of the ship. Muraki looked around, recognizing almost every detail they passed. Not much had changed since the ship had been designed and built. Tsuzuki, on the other hand, seemed thoroughly confused.

"Why are we going into a giant freezer?" he asked, looking around and shivering slightly.

"If it's what I know is down here, then I'm not looking forward to the answer," Muraki replied under his breath.

"Huh?" Tsuzuki said. "Wait, what's down here? Did you learn something?"

Muraki just shook his head. "You didn't win the bet so I don't need to tell you anything." He glanced over at Tsuzuki. "You know, I'd be willing to give up my part of the bet if you'd just pay up, but you keep refusing me."

Tsuzuki turned bright red and then grumbled something that included the word "pervert." Muraki grinned.

Hisoka approached where Muraki knew the secret door was and entered the keycode to open it. As it opened, Muraki felt his stomach turn. All of his hard work had been warped and twisted from how it was supposed to be. Everything was wrong. Muraki followed Hisoka into the room, his horror quickly morphing into rage.

"Like it?" Hisoka asked. "I asked Mr. Kakyoin to do it." He gestured at the room, which was supposed to be outfitted in surgical tools and beds in order to harvest organs. "This room has been insulated with thick armor, perfect for training. We can do whatever we like in here and nothing back will happen to the rest of the ship. Isn't that wonderful?"

"What the hell did you do to my room?" Muraki asked through clenched teeth.

"Hm...?" Hisoka said in an almost innocent manner. "Ah yes, that's right. After running into you this morning, I mentioned you, the strange silver-haired man whom I knew to be dead, to Mr. Kakyoin. To my surprise he knew you well. He said that you used to blackmail him into harvesting organs on this ship and selling them on the black market. The two of you made quite a wealth that way, didn't you?"

"Whoa whoa whoa... hold on a minute... what?" Tsuzuki asked, shocked. "Muraki, you did what down here? Is what he said true?"

"Truth or lie, doesn't matter," Muraki growled, not taking his glare off of Hisoka. "Not right now, at least. All that's important is taking this guy down."

Tsuzuki glanced from Hisoka to Muraki. "I suppose," Tsuzuki said, his tone uncertain.

"Shall we begin?" Hisoka spread his arms wide as though welcoming them to make the first move.

Muraki could hardly contain his fury, but was trying his hardest to calm himself before making the first attack. He wasn't about to do something stupid and ruin everything they had come here to do. "Remember what I told you about him," he muttered to Tsuzuki. "He can control your movements somehow, like a puppetmaster. Don't let him get close enough to use that trick."

Tsuzuki nodded, not taking his eyes off Hisoka.

"Ready?" Muraki asked under his breath.

Tsuzuki gave the slightest hint of a nod before lunging into the air, pulling out a futa and casting. However, by the time the spell was complete, Hisoka was long gone. Tsuzuki glanced around for his opponent, realizing too late that Hisoka was behind him.

"Mr. Tsuzuki!" Muraki shouted, leaping into the air and tackling Hisoka before he could land his blow. In mid air, Hisoka got a grip on Muraki and flung him away. However, it was a matter of little effort for Muraki to decelerate by use of his flying ability. He touched down lightly against a wall and then pushed off to resume the attack.

Although he didn't want to get too close, Muraki remembered how enraged Hisoka had been when he had tapped into his energy and begun to drink. Muraki knew that he could kill someone if he consumed enough of their energy. Clearly, Hisoka somehow knew that, even though most of Muraki's victims didn't even feel their energy leaving them. It was an option, but not the one Muraki most wanted to try.

Hisoka was on his way back toward Tsuzuki, who was in the middle of summoning one of his shikigami. With a quick spell, Muraki cast a weak summon of his own as a distraction, creating a wall of screeching, flapping bats between Hisoka and Tsuzuki.

The distraction didn't work for long, but it gave Tsuzuki the time that he needed. "Come out, Byakko!" He called. Soon, his giant white tiger shiki had materialized by his side.

Hisoka chuckled. "Well now. That would explain why you were so weak. You're not used to fighting your own battles, are you?" he jeered. "No matter. I'll crush you and all of your pets!" Hisoka darted forward again, his blows now focused on Byakko. The tiger swatted at his attacker. However, he was about as effective at catching his swift target as a cat trying to catch a laser pointer dot.

Muraki sighed and cast a spell to create one of his own summons, a pure-white dragon, to aid in the attack.

"I'm glad that you're smart enough to realize that the two of you alone won't be enough to beat me," Hisoka said. "But I'm offended in the weak fight all of you are giving me. You especially," he added, directing his attention to Muraki. "I was hoping you'd be stronger now, having come back from the dead, but if anything, your skills have deteriorated."

Muraki glared at Hisoka had his dragon attack him. Hisoka dodged and lunged toward Tsuzuki. "No! Mr. Tsuzuki!" Muraki cried, flying after Hisoka. He couldn't let Tsuzuki die – not yet, at least.

Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's jacket with one hand and prepared to punch him, but Muraki tackled him, tore him free, and threw him to the ground. With Hisoka pinned under him, Muraki leaned down and began to drink his life energy.

Hisoka lashed out violently, but Muraki ignored his blows, focusing only on the task at hand. It was only when he felt something slash into his chest that he even bothered to look at what Hisoka was doing.

In one hand, his opponent now held a card that dripped with blood. Muraki ignored it, even as Hisoka slashed him open with it again and again. Muraki tried not to flinch as he continued to gulp down the energy.

"Muraki!" Tsuzuki cried, running toward him. Muraki held up one hand to tell him to stay back. He couldn't pull away to talk. He had to finish this.

"How are you doing this?" Hisoka gasped. After losing so much energy, he must have begun to feel week. "How can you penetrate my energy like this? You shouldn't be able to... I'm in control..."

Muraki didn't answer. He could feel that the front of his suit was soaked with his own blood and he was dizzy and growing tired. Still, he was so close. He couldn't stop yet.

Suddenly, Muraki felt something large and thick penetrate his chest and out the back. The sensation of something being there hit him before the pain. He disconnected from Hisoka's energy and gasped, hacking up blood. Hisoka grinned up at him.

"Muraki!" Tsuzuki cried, running closer again.

"Back," Muraki gasped weakly. "Stay back... Mr. Tsuzuki..." Muraki looked down and saw that the thing that had penetrated him was Hisoka's entire arm. Muraki reached out in disbelief and touched the arm impaling him, feeling almost like he was in some sort of dream. His fingers trembled as he touched the foreign limb that was slick with his own blood. He coughed again, showering Hisoka with fresh droplets of blood.

"Damn it, Muraki!" Tsuzuki shouted. "Get out away from him! Get out of there, and don't die."

"Won't...die..." Muraki said, although he wasn't entirely sure he could keep that promise. His strength was failing quickly, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay conscious. "Our bet... Mr. Tsuzuki... You...still owe me... your body... So I won't..."

He chuckled to himself and leaned down, reconnecting with the energy source again and gulping it desperately, draining it down as fast as his wounded body could manage. Hisoka's became even more desperate. With Hisoka's arm through his torso, Muraki was flung around like a rag doll with his renewed struggles. Soon, he could no longer tell if he was still swallowing energy or if it were only blood.

The last thing Muraki heard before he passed out was his beloved Mr. Tsuzuki desperately calling out his name.


	9. Chapter 9

Slowly and with much more effort that he was used to, Muraki peeled open his eyelids and looked around. He was in a bed, one that was both familiar yet hard to place. After blinking a few times, he suddenly realized where he was.

It was his bed in the his VIP room.

Muraki rubbed his eyes and sat up. Feeling something strange about his chest, he looked down and found that it had been sloppily wrapped up in gauze. So it hadn't been a dream, then. Still, somehow, he had managed to survive, and then someone – he was betting on Tsuzuki – had treated his wounds for him. Muraki smiled and stroked the messy bandages lovingly.

Asleep in a chair, his upper body slumped across the bed and head in Muraki's lap, was Tsuzuki. Muraki reached out and brushed his fingers through his dark hair, imagining how much his beloved must have worried about him and cared for him for however long he had been out.

When he heard a rustling sound in the darkened room, Muraki pulled back his hand and looked up. Across the room sat the Gushoshin, illuminated by the screen of his laptop. After a few moments, the tiny, feathered creature seemed to finish whatever he was working on because he leaned back with a sigh. He then made eye contact with Muraki and let out a shout that make Tsuzuki awaken with a jump. "Ah! Mr. Muraki! You're up!"

Tsuzuki quickly recovered from his frightening awakening, rubbed his eyes, and looked over at Muraki, who smiled tenderly back at him. "Ah, Muraki..." He blushed and quickly sat upright. He glanced away sheepishly. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine, thanks to you," Muraki said, gesturing at the bandages. "I take it we won, then?"

"Right, yes," Tsuzuki said. "After you passed out, Byakko and I were able to get in a few clean hits. He was much slower and not as powerful after you did...um... whatever it was you did to him." Tsuzuki glanced at Muraki, his expression silently asking for more information about what had happened.

Muraki ignored the prompting look. "Good, good. It's a shame I wasn't able to finish him myself, but he was much stronger than I had anticipated. Thank you for your help. Were you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I was more worried about you, anyway."

"That's sweet of you," Muraki said happily. "I'm glad you were so concerned about me."

Tsuzuki's blush deepened and it looked like he might have gotten mad if not for the fact that he was still trying to be kind to Muraki after what had just happened to him.

"Anyway," the Gushoshin said. "It turns out that this Hisoka person had pressured Mr. Kakyouin into using a hidden area on the ship for human experiments to create the perfect super soldier. However, the initiation process ended up killing all of the subjects."

"I see," Muraki said. "So then, what now?"

"Now, you just need to rest, Mr. Muraki," Gushoshin said. "That's all you really need to worry about right now. While you were out, we docked in Hong Kong, and now we're on our return trip. Our ride back to the ministry will pick us up when we reach Japan again. Until then, you're supposed to rest up so you can heal and be all back to normal, and in general, we're all on a special break of sorts – unfortunately unpaid, of course."

Tsuzuki sighed. "I hate hearing those words," he muttered.

"At least you're now on the VIP floor like you wanted to be," Muraki said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah," Tsuzuki muttered. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then spoke again. "Hey," he muttered. "What exactly was that power you used back there? And that Hisoka guy said something about harvesting organs... and black mail..."

"What Hisoka said was mostly a misunderstanding, I fear. But I'll explain everything later," Muraki said. "I'm feeling generous, so even though you lost the bet, I'd like to share some things about myself with you. However, the full story is much too long right now, and I still feel very tired. Do you mind if we wait for a few days until after I've recovered more?"

Tsuzuki shook his head. "I can wait," he said. "Especially since you seem so willing to talk to me about it now."

Muraki smiled and lay back in bed, gazing up at those beautiful purple eyes. "Good night, Mr. Tsuzuki," he said.

"Rest well, Muraki," Tsuzuki replied.


	10. Chapter 10

A knock came at the door right at the appointed hour. Muraki opened it to see Tsuzuki standing there. "Mr. Tsuzuki," he greeted. "I'm glad you could join me for tea."

"I'm glad you're well enough to invite me to tea," Tsuzuki replied as he walked into the room. He glanced around. "Huh? Where did Gushoshin go?"

"Ah, I convinced him to sneak into one of the spare VIP rooms for some mutual privacy," Muraki explained. "Since our current assignment was finished, he was busying himself by organizing some private death records."

"I see," Tsuzuki replied, still looking somewhat suspicious.

"Also, I didn't want him to hear some of the things I was going to tell you. Since some of them will be about you and your past, I was sure you'd appreciate the privacy."

Tsuzuki tensed and said nothing.

"Please sit down, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki said warmly. "The tea is ready. I'll pour you some if you'd like."

Tsuzuki sat down at the small table in the center of the room. Muraki smiled at him and then turned to tend to the tea sitting on his side table. He filled his own cup first and then slowly filled a second cup for Tsuzuki, letting the hot tea run over the pill resting at its bottom. While watching the pill as it rapidly dissolved, Muraki opened the kettle and slipped in two more pills. The amount in Tsuzuki's drink alone would be enough for a normal human, but he wasn't entirely sure what sort of effect it would have on his partner. As an added precaution, the sugar was also laced with a similar drug. Now, the only things that weren't drugged were the cookies and Muraki's personal cup of tea.

Muraki turned and carried the tray over to the table and then served Tsuzuki his cup before setting his own in front of him. "Help yourself to the cookies," Muraki said before sipping on his drink. Tsuzuki watched Muraki until he finished drinking before taking a sip from his own cup.

"Well then," Muraki said, taking another sip before setting down his cup. "Where should I start?"

"I'm torn between asking about what you know about me and asking what the hell you did to beat that guy," Tsuzuki said, dropping a few sugar cubes into his tea.

"Ah. Well, the first one is going to be a very long answer, so I'll get to it in a little bit. As for the second, well," he paused, waiting for Tsuzuki to finish taking a drink. "I'm an energy vampire."

Tsuzuki's eyes widened and he lowered his cup. "An energy vampire?" he asked before reaching for one of the cookies. "I assume it's pretty much what it sounds like, but what exactly is that?"

"In life, I was fascinated with immortality," Muraki said. "I eventually discovered a way to absorb other people's life energy, using it to heal wounds, reverse aging, or extend my life. I never took much, however, just enough to sustain me. And I never dared take too much from the same person. But all I did to defeat him was latch onto his life force and feed greedily."

Tsuzuki finished his cookie and washed it down with a few gulps of tea. He was almost done with his first cup. Muraki went back to taking drinks from his own cup so as to not be too much behind Tsuzuki. "Well, that explains why you survived that blow," Tsuzuki said as he grabbed another cookie. "Though something tells me that, if you hadn't died when you did, you'd be the exact sort of creature our department would hunt down."

"But we aren't that different, are we, Mr. Tsuzuki?" Muraki asked with a gleam in his eye.

Tsuzuki looked up at him, startled. "What do you mean?" he asked shakily.

"I know about you, your past and your truth," he said. "I know what you are." Muraki savored the flash of terror in Tsuzuki's eyes and the slight tremble in his hands that was more pronounced in the tea cup he held up to his lips. "Demon."

Tsuzuki lowered his cup onto the saucer with a clatter and looked away. "How could you possibly know that?" he hissed. Muraki smirked and refilled Tsuzuki's cup and then his own. Tsuzuki clenched his fists. "Answer me, Muraki!"

Muraki smiled and leaned back, his cup in one hand, though he didn't dare drink from it. "Medical records," he said. "When my grandfather died, I found some interesting files in his office. One of them detailed a strange man with purple eyes who could survive for long periods without food or drink. I researched him extensively and learned even more about him... about you..." He smiled.

Tsuzuki shook his head. "How much do you know?" he asked.

"A lot," Muraki answered. "It would take more than this one session to figure out everything I do or don't know about you. Just know that there is very little that you can keep secret from me, Mr. Tsuzuki."

Tsuzuki pressed two fingers to one of his temples and rubbed. "This conversation is giving me a headache anyway. I wouldn't mind a topic change to something less disturbing. Just know that I'm requesting a different partner when we get back to the ministry."

"That's completely understandable," Muraki said. "What would you like to know about next?"

Tsuzuki leaned back in his seat and sipped on his tea, deep in thought. Muraki smiled as he watched him and pretended to take a sip from his fresh cup.

"There are a lot of other things I want to talk about, but this one seems pretty important. What about those organs Hisoka mentioned?" Tsuzuki said.

"Ah, it's a long story," Muraki said. "It all started several years ago when I treated Mr. Kakyoin's daughter for a heart condition." Muraki started. He continued to tell the story, watching as Tsuzuki's eyes started to glaze over and his movements became sluggish. When Tsuzuki seemed to be having trouble even focusing on the story, Muraki stopped. "Are you alright, Mr. Tsuzuki?" Muraki asked in false concern. Tsuzuki muttered something. "Are you alright? Should I get the Gushoshin to contact the ministry for help?" Muraki noticed that Tsuzuki's eyes, though struggling to stay open, were glued on his cup of tea. So he knew, then. Muraki grinned and slid an arm around Tsuzuki's body. "Let me get you to bed, Mr. Tsuzuki," he said. Tsuzuki fought against him weakly, but he could barely move. By the time Muraki had hauled him to the bed, Tsuzuki was completely limp but still conscious if even just barely.

Once he got Tsuzuki into the bed, Muraki dialed an old phone number that he knew by heart yet hadn't called in years. The phone rang once, twice, and then a familiarly tired voice came on the line. "Hello?"

"Oriya, my old friend!" Muraki greeted warmly. The sputtering reaction on the other line was just as priceless as Muraki had been anticipating.

"Muraki! I thought you were dead!" Oriya snapped. "I've been mourning you for the past three years! I'll kill you!"

"It's your own fault for thinking I could be killed so easily," Muraki said in an amused tone. "You of all people should know better than that."

"Well, the body looked like you and matched your dental records, so what the hell was I supposed to think?" Oriya shot back.

"Didn't I tell you I was into cloning?" Muraki asked.

"I didn't know you'd been successful."

"I wasn't. That's why I killed it."

"Ah, I guess that makes sense. It still doesn't explain why you didn't answer your phone and didn't bother contacting me or visiting me until now. If you needed a place to hide out or something, I would've been more that willing to help you."

"I know," Muraki said. "But I was trying to leave my past behind me and start a new life until a piece of my old life bumped into me. Now I'm back. I'd like to visit you, Oriya."

"You better," Oriya said.

"Well, to do so, I'll need a helicopter."

There was silence for a moment on the other line. "That's one hell of a favor," Oriya finally said.

"Oh don't be like that. Such a thing isn't too much for such an important reunion. I know you have the funds; you were in my will and were well off to start. And if you don't get me a helicopter, then odds are you may never see me again after the current window closes."

There was another pause. "How much time do I have?"

Muraki glanced at Tsuzuki's sleeping body and did some quick math to estimate how much of the drug he had consumed. "I'd say four or five hours," he said.

"I can do that," he said. "Where should your ride pick you up?"

"I'm sure you remember me talking about the Queen Camillia, yes?" Muraki asked. When Oriya grunted an affirmative in response, he continued. "Well, I'm on board now. I'm sure it won't be hard to trace it's path. Worst case scenario, you should be able to track my cell phone."

"Alright. I'll try to find someone near where you are who can leave immediately and then I'll call you back." Oriya said.

"Ah, wait an hour before calling me back," Muraki said. "I have something important to do and can't have my phone on me."

"Alright. Call me when you're done, then, and I'll tell you when to expect your flight."

"Thank you, Oriya," Muraki said before hanging up.

Muraki looked down at the limp body in his bed. Tsuzuki's eyes were half lidded and sometimes stirred weakly or mumbled something incoherent under his breath. It would still be a while before the drugs took him under completely, but that didn't matter to Muraki. It wasn't like Tsuzuki would be able to remember anything when he woke up anyway.


	11. Chapter 11

Muraki leaned down and tenderly kissed the lips of his beloved. They were soft and warm and moved feebly against his own as Tsuzuki tried to mutter something. Muraki pulled away and moved to kiss Tsuzuki's neck instead. Tsuzuki seemed to be only alert enough to understand pleasure, even if he didn't know where it was coming from, and gasped softly. Still kissing his neck, Muraki took Tsuzuki's limp hand and pressed it against the tightness in his pants. He wished that he could do these things while Tsuzuki were fully awake, even if not consenting, but this would have to do as their first and last time together.

With one hand, Muraki continued to pleasure himself with Tsuzuki's hand. This left his other hand to roam across Tsuzuki's shirt and then under his vest. Tsuzuki whimpered softly and wriggled when Muraki untucked his shirt and sent his wandering hand under it to explore. Muraki wasn't sure if some part of Tsuzuki understood the situation and was scared, or if he were enjoying it and that was the closest thing to a moan that he could muster. Either way, it didn't matter. Muraki was more concerned about the fact that there was too much cloth between himself and Tsuzuki's hand for it to really be enjoyable.

Muraki dropped Tsuzuki's hand and quickly undid his own pants. He then undid Tsuzuki's vest and unbuttoned his shirt, laying them both open tenderly. He left the top button done and the bow tie on, however. He then sat on the edge of the bed. Wrapping his own hand around Tsuzuki's, Muraki used Tsuzuki's hand to slowly pleasure himself as he leaned over Tsuzuki's helpless body. Resting one hand against the bare skin of Tsuzuki's side, Muraki lowered his head to lick, suck, and nibble on the pale flesh of Tsuzuki's chest. Tsuzuki gasped and panted as Muraki's tongue swirled in patterned across his chest before his mouth finally settled on one of Tsuzuki's nipples.

The quivering moan that came forth seemed to have taken all of the strength Tsuzuki could muster. Meanwhile, it was taking all of Muraki's self restraint to keep him from tearing off Tsuzuki's clothes and fucking him raw. Of course, that was the eventual plan, but for now, he wanted to savor this moment and enjoy himself. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive nub and then took it between his teeth and bit gently. Tsuzuki gasped. Muraki lifted his head slightly and smiled.

"You seem to like your nipples played with, Mr. Tsuzuki. If you had accepted me properly, then you could have been able to enjoy this, each and every bit. I would have even made sure the next part would have been pleasurable for you. Such a shame, really."

He stared down at Tsuzuki's body. He was gasping for air, his face flushed. His pants were even tented with an erection. Muraki removed Tsuzuki's hand from his own throbbing erection and then worked on undoing Tsuzuki's pants. At this rate, he wouldn't even be conscious for much longer, and he wanted to hear these sounds of pleasure morph into cries of pain.

After removing Tsuzuki's pants, Muraki kissed Tsuzuki tenderly on the lips one last time. Tsuzuki's lips moved against his own, but this time, no sounds came out. Muraki wondered if it was because Tsuzuki no longer had control over his vocal cords or if he was so into it that he was actively trying to kiss back. Muraki hoped it was the latter and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past those beautiful lips to explore the uncharted territory of teeth and tongue. Tsuzuki panted against Muraki's exploring tongue, his jaw going slack allowing Muraki more freedom. Although likely caused by Tsuzuki slipping deeper into unconsciousness, this illusion of compliance further excited Muraki. As Muraki deepened the kiss further, he ran his hands over Tsuzuki's exposed chest and down to his stomach, the exposed skin trembling slightly and covered with slight goosebumps. As he ran his hands back up, he dug into Tsuzuki's sides with his nails. He felt Tsuzuki's body twitch, and the faintest sound of protest rose in his throat.

It was too much for him. He needed relief.

Muraki disengaged from the kiss and forced Tsuzuki's legs open. With Tsuzuki in his current state, his legs spread effortlessly. Muraki positioned himself between Tsuzuki's thighs and pressed himself against Tsuzuki's helpless opening. Another soft cry of protest came from Tsuzuki's moistened lips, but Muraki didn't stop. He pressed again, feeling the ring of muscle yield under him. With Tsuzuki this relaxed, it shouldn't be any problem at all. And he was right. On his third try, he felt his head pop inside of Tsuzuki's tightness.

Muraki groaned as he slid the rest of the way into Tsuzuki's body, ignoring the weak struggles and pitiful sounds coming from the man under him. Muraki took a short moment to savor the quivering of Tsuzuki's inner walls and the pulsing tightness of that freshly penetrated ring of muscle before beginning a tempo of thrusts. Muraki's grunted as he pounded in and out of Tsuzuki's body, which slowly stopped struggling and soon was just limp. Even the small sounds he had managed to make stopped, and he just lay there, breathing slowly as Muraki fucked him.

As Muraki thrust into Tsuzuki, he soon felt the waves of pleasure surging toward a climax. He thrust a few more times before cumming inside Tsuzuki's limp body with a groan. It had been everything he had ever wanted and imagined as he had stared at the image of that purple-eyed man from his grandfather's files. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki's body, nuzzling his chest and listening to his heart beat. He knew that this probably hadn't taken anywhere near to an hour. He wanted to lay in bed with his dear beloved, deep in his warmth while breathing in the musky scents of Tsuzuki's body until he got hard enough for round two.

Oriya could wait.


	12. Chapter 12

[[This is the final chapter of King's Reversal! Thanks for sticking with this story for so long. ^^ I've written a short little blurb that can be read as a continuation of this story. It should be out later this week and will be called Head Games.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!]]

* * *

Tsuzuki awoke with a splitting headache worse than any hangover he had ever experienced in his entire life. He groaned deeply as his head rolled to one side, struggling to open his eyes. He suddenly heard footsteps, hard shoes on some sort of tile, approach him. Someone ran fingers through his hair, the caress light and sweet. Tsuzuki swallowed painfully, his mouth thoroughly parched. Whatever had happened last night, it must have been one hell of a party.

He opened his eyes and the blurry image of Muraki swam into focus. Tsuzuki tried to yelp, but his dry throat just crackled pitifully.

"I'm glad you could join me," Muraki said. "I was worried that I would have to start without you."

Tsuzuki's eyes darted around the strange, green-lit room. "Where..." he rasped.

"My secret lab," Muraki said. "I had such great plans for this place one day, but then I died. At first, I tried to leave all of this behind me and accept my fate as a shinigami, but then I ran into you. I'm just glad I spent as much as I did on those generators. They kept everything perfectly preserved for me so that I could finally finish my life's work."

Tsuzuki shook his head, confused and in stunned disbelief.

"I researched you since I was a young boy, my dearest Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki continued, beginning to pace. "You had the perfect body, the ideal form I fantasized about."

The hell was this lunatic babbling on about? Tsuzuki tried to get up, but found that his arms and legs were chained tight to the table. And now that he was more awake, he could feel that his head wasn't the only thing that ached. He looked down and saw that his clothes had been removed and replaced with a loose yukata. Tsuzuki had a bad feeling that he knew what Muraki had done while he had been unconscious and naked.

"But then, you see," Muraki continued, seemingly ignoring Tsuzuki's growing panic. "Then, my half brother was killed. But he didn't die how I wanted him to. My goal changed. I wanted you to study, yes, but now as part of my experiments, I wanted to use your body to bring my dead brother back to life."

Tsuzuki could now see a glass container filled with some sort of liquid behind where Muraki paced. Indeed, what appeared to be a severed head and a spine floated there, suspended in the liquid. Tsuzuki tensed.

"The only downside is that I may move on the second I do this," Muraki said. "This may be my last regret that kept me as a shinigami, and I'll have to say goodbye to this ideal body I've acquired soon after I get my revenge. However, this is a risk I'm willing to take. Oblivion means nothing if it means that I can finally get that which I was denied! And in the off chance I don't fade away," Muraki added with a crazed grin, "I can stay here with you for the rest of my life. Your head and body won't even need to be attached, will they? No, of course not. Having them connected would make it too easy for you to fight me." Tsuzuki stared at Muraki in horror. "Oh, this is so exciting! I wonder what will happen, Mr. Tsuzuki, don't you?"

Tsuzuki struggled more, pulling at his restraints until they cut at his wrists. "Let me go!" he shouted hoarsely. "You can't do this to me! Let me go!"

Muraki chuckled. "Why bother?" He said. "No one can stand you long enough to partner with you. What's there even to bother living for? You killed yourself once, after all."

Tsuzuki glared.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki insisted, picking up a scalpel. "I'm sure the Gushoshin woke up by the time the Queen Camillia reached port and was able to make enough noise to alert the representative from the ministry to his location in our room. Well, that is, if they bothered to check." Muraki chuckled to himself in amusement. "And you, soon you'll just be a sweet, sad memory for all those people...if they even bother to remember you, that is." Muraki stepped closer, scalpel at the ready. Tsuzuki struggled wildly, but lay still when Muraki roughly grabbed his hair. "I love you so much, Mr. Tsuzuki," Muraki said, a strange sadness in his eyes. "But you lost our bet, and I'm here to claim my prize."

Tsuzuki started screaming the moment the cold blade touched his throat, and continued screaming until the blade finally severed his windpipe.


End file.
